PRIMER REGISTRO DE UNA ABERRACIÓN MARRÓN PARA EL CORMORÁN NEOTROPICAL NANNOPTERUM BRASILIANUM DE MÉXICO

En esta nota, reportamos un caso de aberración del plumaje en el cormorán neotropical Nannopterum brasilianum. Se registró la presencia de un color atípico en el plumaje de un individuo observado en un humedal del norte de México. El ave presentaba una aberración marrón, en la que el color negro original fue sustituido por tonos marrón claro y beige pálido. Observamos el ave alimentándose junto a otros cormoranes con una coloración normal y no mostró comportamientos diferentes. La documentación de fenotipos aberrantes es importante para determinar su frecuencia y patrones geográficos de aparición, especialmente en aves acuáticas con distribuciones geográficas extensas como N. brasilianum. Esta observación representa el primer reporte de aberración de plumaje marrón en esta especie

Modelling the location and consequences of aircraft accidents

Following the completion of two projects funded by the UK EPSRC and two for the Airports Cooperative Research Program, ACRP (2008, 2011), this paper aims to summarise the work on the location and consequence models . The projects overall focused on the development of an improved airport risk assessment methodology aimed at assessing risks related to aircraft accidents at and in the vicinity of airports and managing Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) as a risk mitigation measure. The improved methodology is more quantitative, risk-sensitive, flexible and transparent than traditional risk assessment approaches. As such, it contributes to the implementation of Safety Management Systems at airports, as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The innovative elements of this research are two-fold. First, an accident database covering undershoots, overruns, and veer-off crashes close to runways at airports has been compiled and data on incidents has been added. Second, accident frequency models have been developed, for example, identifying the contribution of influencing factors such as variations in meteorological conditions. To allow airport risk to then be calculated entails comparing these cases with those contained in a ‘normal operations database’ where no accidents have been recorded but where the influencing factors are also known. Subsequent models have examined the location of the accidents and their consequences. It is this work that is the focus of this paper. Future work will focus on improving these aspects of the modelling and the consequences of crashes more than 2000 ft. but less than 10 miles from a runway end as well as impacts on third parties

Application of Fickian and non-Fickian diffusion models to study moisture diffusion in asphalt mastics

The objective of this study was to investigate certain aspects of asphalt mastic moisture diffusion characteristics in order to better understand the moisture damage phenomenon in asphalt mixtures. Moisture sorption experiments were conducted on four asphalt mastics using an environmental chamber capable of automatically controlling both relative humidity (85 %) and temperature (23 °C). The four mastics tested were identical in terms of bitumen type (40/60 pen), bitumen amount (25 % by of wt% total mix), mineral filler amount (25 % by wt%) and fine aggregate amount (50 % by wt%). The materials differed in terms of mineral filler type (granite or limestone) and fine aggregate type (granite or limestone). Preliminary data obtained during the early part of the study showed certain anomalous behavior of the materials including geometry (thickness)-dependent diffusion coefficient. It was therefore decided to investigate some aspects related to moisture diffusion in mastics by applying the Fickian and two non-Fickian (anomalous) diffusion models to the moisture sorption data. The two non-Fickian models included a two-phase Langmuir-type model and a two-parameter time-variable model. All three models predicted moisture diffusion in mastics extremely well (R 2 > 0.95). The observed variation of diffusion coefficient with thickness was attributed in part to microstructural changes (settlement of the denser fine aggregates near the bottom of the material) during the rather long-duration diffusion testing. This assertion was supported by X-ray computed tomography imaging of the mastic that showed significant accumulation of aggregate particles near the bottom of the sample with time. The results from the Langmuir-type model support a two-phase (free and bound) model for moisture absorbed by asphalt mastic and suggests about 80 % of absorbed water in the free phase remain bound within the mastic. The results also suggest that moisture diffusion in asphalt mastic may be time-dependent with diffusion decreasing by about four times during a typical diffusion test lasting up to 500 h. The study concludes that both geometry and time-dependent physical characteristics of mastic are important factors to consider with respect to moisture diffusion in asphalt mastics

Machine learning for estimation of building energy consumption and performance:a review

Ever growing population and progressive municipal business demands for constructing new buildings are known as the foremost contributor to greenhouse gasses. Therefore, improvement of energy eciency of the building sector has become an essential target to reduce the amount of gas emission as well as fossil fuel consumption. One most eective approach to reducing CO2 emission and energy consumption with regards to new buildings is to consider energy eciency at a very early design stage. On the other hand, ecient energy management and smart refurbishments can enhance energy performance of the existing stock. All these solutions entail accurate energy prediction for optimal decision making. In recent years, articial intelligence (AI) in general and machine learning (ML) techniques in specic terms have been proposed for forecasting of building energy consumption and performance. This paperprovides a substantial review on the four main ML approaches including articial neural network, support vector machine, Gaussian-based regressions and clustering, which have commonly been applied in forecasting and improving building energy performance

Molecular heterogeneity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Mexico: Overall results of a 7-year project

Several years ago, a project aiming to determine (i) the molecular basis of G-6-PD deficiency, (ii) the distribution of four different mutant alleles previously detected, and (iii) the whole of polymorphic alleles that account for the overall prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in Mexico was implemented. Nearly 5000 individuals - from the general population and patients with hemolytic anemia - belonging to at least 14 States were screened for G-6-PD deficiency. Seventy-six G-6-PD-deficient subjects were detected and the prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in 4777 individuals from the general population was 0.71%. Screening for both mutations associated with enzyme deficiency and silent polymorphisms at the G-6-PD gene was performed in the enzyme-deficient individuals by PCR-SSCP combined with restriction enzyme analysis; the silent polymorphisms as well as the nondeficient variant G-6-PD A376G were also investigated in 366 G-6-PD normal individuals from the general population. In 88% of the enzyme-deficient individuals it was possible to define the mutation responsible and the type G-6-PD A - variants were the more common in both individuals from the general population and patients with hemolytic anemia. G-6-PD deficiency is heterogeneous at the DNA level in Mexico and up to date 10 different variants - 8 in the present project and 2 previously - have been observed: G-6-PD A-202A/376G, G-6-PD A-376G/968C, G-6-PD Santamaria376G/542T, G-6-PD Vanua Lava383C, G-6-PD Tsukuidel561-563, G-6-PD "Mexico City"680A, G-6-PD Seattle844C, G-6PD Guadalajara1159T,G-6-PD Nashville1178A, and G-6-PD Union1360T. The G-6-PD A- variants have a relatively homogeneous distribution and along with G-6-PD Santamaria376G/542T, they account for 82% of the overall prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in Mexico; all other seven variants represent 9% of the mutant alleles examined, and in the rest of the chromosomes the mutation responsible for the enzyme deficiency remains to be defined. Several of the variants observed in Mexico are common in Africa, South Europe, and Southeast Asia. The prevalence for the variant G-6-PD A376G was 1.64%. From 256 possible haplotypes only 14 were observed and haplotype analysis suggests that some of the G-6-PD variants probably were imported to Mexico by population flow from South Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. This work (i) identified the G-6-PD variants prevalent in Mexico, (ii) defines their geographical distribution, (iii) contributes to the knowledge of the genetic structure of the Mexican population, and (iv) will facilitate the molecular analysis of the G-6-PD gene in enzyme-deficient Mexican individuals. � 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)

Individual Variation in Social Behaviours of Male Lab-reared Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) is Non-heritable and Weakly Associated with V1aR Density

Abstract The genetic and environmental factors that contribute to pair bonding behaviour remain poorly understood. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) often, but not always, form stable pair bonds and present an ideal model species for investigating the genetic and environmental factors that influence monogamy. Here, we assessed variation in partner preference, a measure of pair bonding, and related social behaviours in a population of laboratory-reared prairie voles under controlled environmental conditions. We evaluated to what extent variation in these behaviours correlate with vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) expression in the ventral pallidum (VP) and retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and estimated the heritability of these behaviours and V1aR expression. We found substantial variation in partner preference and measures of aggression, paternal care, and anxiety-like behaviours, but no correlation between these traits. We also found variation in V1aR density in the VP and RSC can account for behavioural components of paternal care and aggression, but not in partner preference. Heritability estimates of variation in partner preference were low, yet heritability estimates for V1aR expression were high, indicating that the extensive variation in partner preference observed within this population is due largely to environmental plasticity

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) mutations in Mexico: Four new G-6-PD variants

Screening for mutations at the G-6-PD gene by PCR-SSCP combined with restriction enzyme analysis and DNA sequencing was performed in nine G-6-PD deficient individuals with negative results for the presence of the most frequent G-6-PD mutations previously observed in Mexican population. The variants G-6-PD Valladolid406T, G-6-PD Durham713G, and G-6-PD Viangchan871A and four new G-6-PD mutant alleles were identified. The new mutations are located at cDNA nt 376 A → T (126 Asn → Tyr), nt 770 G → T (257 Arg → Leu), nt 1094 G → A (365 Arg → His), and nt 1285 A → G (429 Lys → Glu) and they were named G-6-PD San Luis Potosi, G-6-PD Zacatecas, G-6-PD Veracruz, and G-6-PD Yucatán, respectively. To date, a total of 18 different G-6-PD variants have been observed in Mexico and several of them are common in Africa, South Europe, and Southeast Asia. © 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved

On the estimation of impact of vehicular emissions

Screening for mutations at the G-6-PD gene by PCR-SSCP combined with restriction enzyme analysis and DNA sequencing was performed in nine G-6-PD deficient individuals with negative results for the presence of the most frequent G-6-PD mutations previously observed in Mexican population. The variants G-6-PD Valladolid406T, G-6-PD Durham713G, and G-6-PD Viangchan871A and four new G-6-PD mutant alleles were identified. The new mutations are located at cDNA nt 376 A ? T (126 Asn ? Tyr), nt 770 G ? T (257 Arg ? Leu), nt 1094 G ? A (365 Arg ? His), and nt 1285 A ? G (429 Lys ? Glu) and they were named G-6-PD San Luis Potosi, G-6-PD Zacatecas, G-6-PD Veracruz, and G-6-PD Yucatán, respectively. To date, a total of 18 different G-6-PD variants have been observed in Mexico and several of them are common in Africa, South Europe, and Southeast Asia. " 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.",,,,,,"10.1016/S1079-9796(03)00119-0",,,"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12104/41779","http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0038690106&partnerID=40&md5=00c6e8e1643c9db6bef68344d03e831b",,,,,,"1",,"Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases",,"11

?-Thalassemia and ?(A) globin gene haplotypes in Mexican mestizos

?-globin haplotypes of 20 -thalassemia (?-thal) and 87 ?(A) Mexican mestizo chromosomes were analyzed to ascertain the origin of the ?-thal alleles and the frequencies and distribution of the ?(A) haplotypes among northwestern Mexican mestizos. Sixteen ?-thal chromosomes carried six Mediterranean alleles [five codon 39 C?T; two IVS1:1 G?A; two IVS1:5 G A: three IVS1:110 G(A; one codon 11 (-T) and three (deltabeta)zero-thal]; the remaining four were linked to three rare alleles (two -28 A?C and one each: -87 C T and initiation codon ATG?GTG). Among the 87 ?(A) chromosomes, 17 different 5' haplotypes with frequencies for 1, 3, 2 and 5 of 39.0%, 17.2%, 9.2% and 6.9%, respectively, were observed. The ?-haplotype analysis showed that 13 out of 16 Mediterranean chromosomes could easily be explained by gene migration; however, one codon 39 associated with haplotype 4 (----+ +-), one IVS1:1 with haplotype 1(+----++) and one IVS1:5 G?A, may represent separate mutational events. Analysis of the rare alleles showed that the -28 A?C mutation was associated with the commonest ?(A) haplotype in Mexican mestizos, Mediterraneans and the total world population; therefore an independent origin cannot be ruled out. The -87 C?T and initiation codon ATG?GTG were found with ?-haplotypes different from the reported ones, suggesting an indigenous origin